Automating Client Document Collection with Google Forms + Drive

Why Google Forms for document collection

Every tax season, accounting firms spend countless hours emailing clients for missing documents. "Did you send your T4?" "I need your RRSP contribution receipts." It's tedious, error-prone, and doesn't scale.

Google Forms offers a surprisingly capable solution that's completely free. Here's what makes it work for small to mid-sized accounting practices:

• File upload support: Clients can upload PDFs, images, and documents directly to your Google Drive
• Automatic organization: Responses go to a Google Sheet, files to your Drive
• Mobile-friendly: Clients can snap photos of receipts and upload from their phones
• No cost: Works with any Google account (personal or Workspace)
• Customizable: Add your firm's branding, custom questions, and conditional logic

Limitations to know upfront

Before committing to this setup, understand these constraints:

• Google account required: Clients need a Google account to upload files (unless you use a third-party tool)
• Storage limits: Files are stored in your Google Drive. If you run out of space, the form stops accepting uploads
• File size limits: 10GB maximum per file, but 10MB default per question (adjustable to 1GB)
• No automatic reminders: You'll need to set up reminders separately
• Basic organization: Files go to one folder by default (we'll fix this with Apps Script)

Step-by-step setup guide

Let's build a professional document intake form. This walkthrough takes about 20 minutes.

Setting up email notifications

By default, Google Forms doesn't notify you when someone submits a response. Here are two ways to set up notifications:

Option A: Built-in notifications (simple)

1. In your form, click the Responses tab
2. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top right
3. Select Get email notifications for new responses

This sends a basic "New response" email but doesn't include the submission details.

Option B: Apps Script (detailed notifications)

For notifications that include submission details, use Google Apps Script. Here's a ready-to-use script:

function onFormSubmit(e) {
  // Configure your email address
  var recipientEmail = "your-email@yourfirm.ca";

  // Get form response data
  var response = e.response;
  var itemResponses = response.getItemResponses();

  // Build email body
  var emailBody = "New tax document submission received:\n\n";

  for (var i = 0; i < itemResponses.length; i++) {
    var item = itemResponses[i];
    var question = item.getItem().getTitle();
    var answer = item.getResponse();

    // Handle file uploads
    if (Array.isArray(answer)) {
      answer = answer.join(", ");
    }

    emailBody += question + ": " + answer + "\n";
  }

  emailBody += "\n---\nSubmitted: " + new Date().toLocaleString();

  // Send notification
  MailApp.sendEmail({
    to: recipientEmail,
    subject: "New Tax Document Submission",
    body: emailBody
  });
}

Folder organization system

By default, all uploaded files go to a single folder called "Form Responses." For better organization, create a folder structure like this:

Copy our templates

We've created ready-to-use templates you can copy and customize for your firm:

Setup checklist

Use this checklist to ensure you've completed all steps:

When to consider alternatives

Google Forms works well for many firms, but consider alternatives if you need:

• No Google account requirement: Forms Studio or File Upload Forms allow anonymous uploads
• Automatic reminders: Content Snare specializes in document collection with built-in follow-ups
• Client portal features: Dedicated practice management software like Karbon, Canopy, or TaxDome
• HIPAA compliance: For medical-related data, consider Jotform's HIPAA-compliant plans